


Do You Want Me Or Do You Want Me Dead?

by quirkypunk



Category: Marvel, The Avengers
Genre: AU, Action, Black Widow - Freeform, Clintasha - Freeform, Clintasha fluff, Competition, F/M, Fights, Fluff, Growing Up, Growing Up Together, Hatred, Hawkeye - Freeform, Jealousy, Love, Rivalry, Sassy Clint, Sassy Natasha, Teen Years, Toddlers, Violence, angsty Clint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-02 23:38:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2830205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quirkypunk/pseuds/quirkypunk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Clintasha. Clint and Nat growing up together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Do You Want Me Or Do You Want Me Dead?

He hated her before they’d even been introduced. Hated her perfect red hair and tauntingly pale skin. Hated her because people loved her and never him. Why did no one ever love him?

In his five years of life, Clint Barton had never come across the jealousy he felt when he first set his eyes on Natasha. She was everything he ever wanted to be and he hated that single fact so much it made him want to cry. She was beautiful and smart and sarcastic and quick. Even in her young age, Natasha wouldn’t hesitate to swear at you in Russian if you upset her. She was fire and he was mud. Plain and simple.

“Hey Clint what did I tell you about doing the crazy eyes?” Ms. Brownslove tutted walking over to him. Clint quickly averted his gaze from Natasha’s petite figure and murmured an unintelligible phrase that even he couldn’t quite make out.  
“Clint speak up please honey,” the young teacher said as Clint tried his best not to do crazy eyes at Natasha.  
“But I didn’t say anything!” Clint whined as Ms. Brownslove continued to look at him expectantly.  
“No you sure mumbled something Clint… What did I tell you about lying?” the brunette teacher went on.  
“No I didn’t! I’m trying to be nice and not do crazy eyes like you said! Why are you such a poo?” Clint yelled as his temper overrode his attempt at being favorable.

He hated Ms. Brownslove almost as much as he hated Natasha. The teacher seemed to lead her life with the sole purpose of making Clint’s miserable, regardless that it already was.

“That’s enough Clint! Time out!” the woman shrilled and pointed her finger at the door. It was the third time Clint had called her a poo since the beginning of the week and he knew he’d be sent to the principal’s office if he did it again.  
“Waaauuughghhhghghgh!!!!” the small blonde screamed as he stormed out, doing all the crazy eyes he could muster at Natasha on the way.  
“Weirdo,” she laughed at him and Clint’s face got an almost comical shade of red.  
“At least I don’t look like a skinned sheep!” he yelled and Natasha reddened instead.  
“What did you say to me?” she asked seriously.  
“I SAID!” Clint started but Ms. Brownslove interrupted.  
“Clint get out!” she yelled and Clint let out a small gravelly roar.  
“SHE CALLED ME A WEIRDO!”  
“Yes and that’s not nice but you’re supposed to be outside Clint!” the brunette teacher sighed exasperated.  
“You’re a hypcroit!” Clint yelled back completely mispronouncing the word and slamming the classroom door shut.  
Ms. Brownslove looked at Natasha frustrated.  
“Don’t bother correcting him Ms. Brownslove, Clint wouldn’t know chocolate from vanilla if he tasted it,” Natasha assured shrugging her small shoulders.  
“Does he even know what a hypocrite means though? Oh well. Nat don’t call people weirdos okay and um, just finish your math please,” Ms. Brownslove sighed waving her hands around half-heartedly.  
“Yes ma’am.” Natasha replied walking away.  
Never mind that she’d threatened Blonde John into finishing the math for her. In Ms. Brownslove’s eyes, Nat was a saint.

 

Until they were bordering 10 years old, Clint and Natasha’s relationship had consisted simply of immature teasing from her side and hate from his. During that first decade though, it sprung into a bigger rivalry. They turned out to be determinedly running a half-mile at top speed in P.E class when it started…

“Tie!” Mr. Wold yelled dramatically stopping his flimsy watch.  
“OHMYGOD!” Natasha screamed angrily.

They had ran the half-mile 3 times that day and she’d relentlessly tied 1st place with Clint non-stop.

“Sick of me are ya?” Clint teased, his eyes gleaming at seeing Natasha upset.  
“Since I first saw you honestly. Screw your head back on Clint,” the red-head responded panting.  
“Oh back off and just admit that I’ll beat you. I’m barely sweating Nat!” Clint laughed gesturing to his body.  
“I’m sensitive to heat stupid,” Natasha countered and Clint rolled his eyes.  
“You’re so conceited!” Clint said shaking his head.  
“Ha-ha you’re so clever Clint! You used a big word! Congratulations,” Natasha said sarcastically as she re-tied her shoulder length hair.  
Before Clint could reply with a snarky remark of his own though, Mr. Wold interrupted with a, “C’mon kids, one more go?”

Natasha gave a sideways glare at her cheery P.E. teacher and sighed.

“Naw look who’s scared I’ll beat her,” Clint grinned fakely.  
“Shut up. Yeah sure. Let’s go,” Nat agreed nodding at her teacher.

As the pair got ready to go again, the rest of the kids in their class dispersed. It was lunch anyway and they didn’t feel the need for competition like Natasha and Clint did.

“Get ready, set, go!” Wold yelled and the two were off.  
“There’s no competition here Nat,” Clint panted halfway through.  
Nat looked at him quickly and took a bit to respond. They didn’t normally talk while running.  
“Yeah well you’ll be red as my hair when I win then…” she said, “and shut up. We’re not friends.”

Clint shrugged and picked up the pace, Natasha followed determinedly.

“C’mon guys! Faster!” Wold yelled from the other end of the track and Nat sped up.

As they neared the finish line, Natasha could taste her win, she was running as fast as she could and Clint was a couple meters back.

“Sorry to embarrass you!” Clint yelled as he finally broke into his full sprint edging past her slowly.

Natasha’s mouth opened into an angry oval as he passed her onto the finish line.

“Winner!” Mr. Wold yelled slapping Clint on the back approvingly.

The young blonde looked at Natasha smugly.

“Oh don’t pretend you’re better than me!” Nat spit panting heavily.  
“Well I hate for you to be wrong but,” Clint shrugged and slicked two fingers over her dripping wet forehead.  
“God! Don’t touch me! I’ve got better grades than you in every single class loser. Including this one. Plus I actually have friends,” the girl retorted arrogantly.  
“Look at who’s a sore loser,” Clint laughed but he was almost crying her honesty inside.  
“Whatever.” The red-head replied, “We’ll see who finishes Lower School with the top score then,”  
“Yeah okay Nat. It’s on!” the blonde replied sarcastically but it wasn’t too sarcastic when they were both awarded the “Overall Academic Excellence” certificate at the end of the year.

 

“Hi Clint!” a pretty blonde said as she sat down at his lunch table. Clint was 14 and finally starting to look more or less like a real teenager. Girls seemed to notice it straight away and for the first time in his life, Clint was receiving positive attention.  
“Hey Ash!” he replied and anybody watching could’ve seen the girl’s heart skipping a beat.  
“You know my friend Ellie’s throwing a party next week. You should totally come if you have time… I mean in between practice and all,” Ash gushed and Clint inwardly cringed at the way she was twirling her hair.  
“Uh yeah sure Ash. Why not? I’ll um see you there… Just have someone text the location and all,” he replied uncomfortably. Ash nodded overeagerly and Clint tensed upon seeing Natasha walk by them grinning.  
“Like hell he’s gonna see you,” she laughed to Ash and received a passionate glare from the female blonde.

Clint grimaced in embarrassment mostly due to the fact that Natasha was right while Ash looked at him red-faced before quickly rushing away.  
Clint sighed then scowled at Natasha who was already sat at the other end of the cafeteria with her all male companions. Naturally, all he received back for his stare was an amused raised of eyebrows from Nat and one or two from the boys she sat with.

“Damn Nat, what did you do to make him hate you so much? All he does is glare,” the buffest boy at the table laughed.  
Natasha rolled her eyes before responding, “Guess I’m just guilty of existing.”  
The boy looked at her full of concern before asking, “Do you want him to like you?”  
“Ha, no. He’s my competition in life. He’s good for me.” Nat laughed and the boys nodded as if she’d said something wise.  
“Hear about Ellie’s party?” the lankiest boy asked no one in particular after a small pause.  
“Who hasn’t,” a random blonde sighed.  
“What? You upset cuz you haven’t got a date Ty?” Natasha teased before chugging an apple juice.  
“Fuck no. Our school’s girls are cute at best Nat. Cute isn’t enough for me,” the blonde continued genuinely annoyed and thoroughly conceited.  
“You mean besides me of course,” Natasha deadpanned.  
“Duh Nat. We’d all jump at you the first chance we got if you weren’t our friend,” the buff boy pitched in sincerely.  
“God I was joking Romeo. Give me a break,” Natasha responded fondly throwing the boy a half smile.  
“So are you going with anyone Nat?” Ty asked unconsciously stroking a hand through his bleached blonde hair.  
“Yeah! Clint,” Natasha replied jokingly.  
“Real funny Nat… What about for real?” Ty pressed on.  
“I don’t know… Who cares?” Natasha shrugged annoyed.  
“Like everyone sitting at this table,” the buff boy laughed and Natasha rolled her eyes.  
“You guys are hopeless,” she replied but she was happy that the boys actually did care.

The young redhead had started hanging around them since she’d figured out the extent of most girls’ permanent melodramatic state of being. Also, boys just seemed to flock to her as if she was one of them. Clint was really the only guy in her school who seemed to dislike her and she appreciated him for it. He gave her a twisted reason to be better and also, he just kind of looked really funny when he was pissed off.

“Don’t look now but the love of your life’s walking over,” Ty mumbled smiling.  
Natasha arched an eyebrow and swiveled her head around just in time to see Clint re-arrange his expression to something he probably thought was serious and intimidating.  
“Ooh look who’s all tough,” Natasha laughed standing up to greet the blonde.  
“Nat you have to reassure Ash that I’ll go,” Clint said ignoring her words.  
“Fuck no, she’s a prissy bitch and I have better things to do,” the redhead responded easily.  
“No you don’t understand. You can’t just keep taking things away from me,” Clint sighed.  
“I’ve never taken anything away from you… Plus, you don’t want her,” Natasha responded surprised at his sincerity.  
Clint sighed again, “No Nat, I don’t but it’s not for you to decide… God why do you have to be such a bitch?” the blonde asked rhetorically and immediately, five boys stood up.

“Take that back,” Ty said.  
“Or what?” Clint asked genuinely amused.  
“Just take it back man, you don’t mess with us we don’t mess with you,” the buff boy said looking earnestly at Clint.  
“I’m not messing with anyone oh mighty Hercules, I’m talking to Nat,” Clint replied, sass quickly getting the best of him as it normally did.  
“Wait what did you just ca,” the boy started but Natasha quickly interrupted.  
“Save it Clint, and sit down guys. This isn’t a movie, you don’t have to be so dramatic…” she laughed and Clint rolled his eyes when the five boys sat down like dogs for their master.

“You’re a manipulative cunt you know that Nat,” Clint muttered quietly so the boys wouldn’t hear.  
“Nice language. You get an A+. Now what do you want from me?” Natasha retorted blue-green eyes piercing into Clint’s own.  
“Just tell her you’re sorry or something Nat. I get us competing all the time but you don’t want Ash either. You just like being mean to me,” Clint said defensively.  
“Um no. I’m not going to talk to her and I’m not mean…” Natasha replied securely.  
“Please Nat, you’re making me look like a dick,” Clint said looking at her for sympathy.  
“Well you are one,” the redhead responded but the ‘please’ had caught her off-guard causing all the usual snark to be drained from her voice.  
Clint rolled his eyes and didn’t reply.  
“What do you want me to feel bad for you?” Natasha asked.  
“Yes. 100% yes. Feel bad for me Nat. I’d love that. I’m tired of having to worry about what you’re going to try and ruin next,” Clint replied honestly but with a small undeniable hint of his usual sassy offense lingering in the air.  
“Wait! You’re telling me that you’re sick of competing?” she asked smiling.  
“Yes?”  
“Then I win!”  
“Wait what no!”  
“Yes I do, you gave up first!”  
“Oh my god Nat, stop!” Clint laughed but their rivalry had officially ended and given way to friendly competition.  
“Hey if we’re not going to hate each other’s guts anymore, what do we do?” Natasha asked.  
“I don’t know, be friends?” Clint responded uncomfortably.  
“Never thought I’d be friends with Clint Barton,” Natasha responded giving him a small half-smile.  
“Same goes for you.”  
“Okay so if we’re friends now…” Natasha started and left the sentence hanging.  
“What?” Clint replied and the redhead shrugged.  
“Sit down with me… friend.” Natasha smiled gesturing to an empty seat and taking the other boys by surprise. Clint and Natasha had been talking quietly enough that her friends couldn’t tell what was happening but a friendship was probably the last thing on their mind.  
“He’s sitting with us?!” Ty asked alarmed at the sudden change in his small world.  
“Very observant Ty. I am,” Clint grinned.  
“Guess so,” Nat added and it was all Ty could do to sit back dumbfounded.  
“By the way… Ash is totally a prissy bitch,” Clint whispered to Natasha and she smiled at him with a look that could’ve been the cousin of acceptance.

 

“I swear to god Clint, if you take any longer the club’ll be closed!” Natasha whisper yelled from Clint’s windowpane where she was crouched.  
“I’ve gotta look good Nat! You never know when a pretty girl’s gonna end up on your lap,” Clint replied sweeping a comb through his hair one last time.

They were seventeen and had developed an enviable friendship that they took almost too much pride in. The pair were currently leaving for a club that they’d sneaked into countless times prior thanks to their incredible skill of appearing more mature than they were. Clint as per usual, was taking too long.

“Oh please, any girl who suddenly appears on your lap isn’t worth a second look,” Natasha sighed reaching out to grab Clint’s belt and pull him towards the windowpane.  
“Hey I know I’m hot but calm down,” Clint teased carefully maneuvering both of them onto the street lamp adjacent to his window.  
“Fuck off,” Natasha smiled and quickly slid down the pole on the pavement with Clint following close behind.  
“That light’s so gonna fall one day and we’re both gonna end up in the hospital,” Clint laughed looking at the leaning street lamp.  
“Well I just can’t wait for that day to come! Now can we please go?” Natasha urged pulling at Clint’s hand.

The blonde rolled his eyes and they both started walking towards the club.

Once they were in, the two split off and enjoyed the rest of the night as teenagers normally did, dancing and drinking and chatting up beautiful people. Once or twice they ended up dancing with each other, causing everyone in the vicinity to stop and look. They were breath taking together and everyone seemed to know it but themselves. They’d both wondered of course, about what it might be like if something happened between them two but it was so unlikely. They’d dated other people, and wanted other people and felt happy with other people so it seemed as if they’d just have to wait it out until they found another person who stuck. They were friends… or at least that’s the label they used.

“Hey Nat, your friend is kind of being dragged out of here…” a cute black haired boy she’d been talking to announced.  
“Who Clint? Where?” she asked and followed the line of his pointing finger.

Clint was walking rather irritated-like out of the club as four big steroids kissed men pushed him around.

“Oh fuck…” Natasha whispered.

Clint was strong but Natasha was skilled. When Clint took swimming she took karate, when he did hockey she did kickboxing. He looked good, but she was.  
As Natasha quietly followed the guys out of the club she did her best to stay calm. Clint had only ever gotten in two or three fights before and it had all happened with scrawny egotistical school kids that they’d both ended up laughing at. This was different.

The guys pushed him towards a dead end dumpster outlined by some broken down fences. Clint could easily jump the wires but Natasha doubted he would.  
“Okay now lets try this again pretty boy,” an ugly brown haired kid snarled and Clint gave him an unimpressed look.

“I’m aware that I’m nice to look at but I’m not interested sorry, now I have somewhere to be,” Clint replied touching the brunette kid’s forearm in an attempt to escape.  
“What the? Who does he think he is?” the boy asked his mates and quickly tossed a punch at Clint’s stomach.

Natasha waited a split second to make sure Clint wasn’t too badly hurt before dropping into the conversation.

“Hey boys.”  
“Where’d you come from?” a blonde aussie asked surprised.  
“Ooh. Diverse group of assholes are we? Cool,” Natasha smiled and swiftly kicked the brown haired boy in the groin, elbowed him in the back and rolled him over with her foot keeping her shoe on his mouth.  
“What the fuck!” the blonde exclaimed terror suddenly filling his eyes.  
“Good trick isn’t it? Now… you either run or get the same treatment, but with the special bonus of this here!” Natasha grinned cocking her head to one side and pulling out a gleaming knife from the inside of her jacket.  
“Yeah, no…” another aussie replied grabbing the blonde’s wrist and pulling him away.  
“Oh shame,” Natasha replied, face completely expressionless as she waited for the boys to bolt. Once they realized she wasn’t about to release their brown haired friend, they fled hesitantly looking horrified at Natasha until she was out of eyesight.  
“Hot. Now what do we do with this one?” Clint asked also expressionless but touching his bruised stomach lightly.  
“Nothing… No wait,” Natasha said and casually kicked the kid toughly in the stomach, “there, now you’re even stevens!”  
“Oh Nat,” Clint replied and they shared a small smile over the moaning body of Clint’s perpetrator.

 

A year passed and Clint was waiting for college acceptance letters while Natasha was planning on joining the city’s local Russian mafia. She spoke the language fluently and had been involved with a couple of close runs with them over the past two years. They’d been keeping an eye on her and she knew it. She loved it too. She needed the danger. She just wasn’t cut out for a normal life and anybody close to her knew it. She was too smart… too needy of all things normally hazardous. Natasha had actually been hanging around a skeptical crowd since she was 15. Nobody made any mention of it though since it never seemed to cause any direct problems with her regular life. Even Clint seemed to pass a blind eye on that side of hers hoping it was just a faze. Natasha liked it that way. Risky situations had always been her thing and she preferred leaving Clint in the fog.

“So you got into NYU?” Clint asked for the hundredth time that day as they both sat on the carpeted floor of Natasha’s room.  
“Um yes amnesiac,” the redhead replied punching Clint’s arm lightly.  
“I don’t believe you,” Clint said simply and though Natasha kept her face mild, her heart beat just a little quicker.  
“What do you mean you don’t believe me?” Natasha grinned trying to keep their conversation casual.  
“You’re not happy. You’re just joking around and laughing too much. There’s a difference.” Clint responded.  
“So what do you want me to say then?” Natasha asked.  
“Be straight Nat. For once.”  
“I’ve never dated a girl. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Natasha joked half-heartedly.  
“Stop.”  
“Okay.”  
“Well?” Clint tried again.  
“I’m not going,” she said honestly.  
“To NYU?”  
“Anywhere really.”  
“You’re staying here?”  
“Yes.”  
“I don’t believe you.”  
“Believe me.”  
“Why would you stay here and do nothing?” Clint inquired confused.  
“I would be doing something…” Natasha replied looking at the floor nervously.  
“And what’s that?”  
“I can’t tell you.”  
“Why?”  
“Because I care about you.”  
Clint studied Natasha’s sincere expression before replying, “Okay.”  
“Yeah?”  
“Yeah…”  
“Wait why okay? Why yeah? Don’t you care?” Natasha asked not used to Clint being submissive.  
“Of course care. Too much. I trust you Nat and if you’re first goal was to keep quiet about whatever you’re doing then I’m gonna let you,” Clint replied.  
“But I want you to know,” Natasha told him shocked that it was the truth.  
“Yeah? Well you’ve been hiding it pretty well for the past year and I don’t think I should know.”  
“You knew I was hiding something?” Natasha asked skeptically.  
“You’re my best friend Nat.” Clint replied simply.  
“Okay.”  
“What did you not know that?” Clint asked smiling.  
“No it’s just…” Natasha started.  
Clint raised an eyebrow.  
“I’m just gonna miss having a best friend is all.” Natasha admitted.  
“I won’t be far.”  
“You won’t be close either.”  
“That’s true… Hey Nat?”  
“Yeah?”  
“I love you.”  
“You what?”  
“I love you.” Clint repeated and for the first time in their lives, they witnessed Natasha’s walls come down as her tears gave way.  
“You can’t do that Clint,” Natasha cried.  
“Love you? Of course I can,” Clint said furrowing his brows and pulling her close to him.  
“No you can’t. It’s dangerous. If I start working for them and they find out you’re special… It’s dangerous Clint.” Natasha tried to explain.  
“Am I?” Clint asked smiling in the midst of her tears.  
“Are you what?”  
“Special?”  
“Of course. You’re my best friend,” Natasha said seriously, her tears quickly subsiding and Clint grinned.  
“Nat do you love me?” He asked as she shifted in his arms.  
“Clint…” she sighed shaking her head.  
“Nat, it’s just a question.” He said looking at her simply.  
She knitted her brows in thought and looked at his expectant gaze.  
“Do you?” he repeated.  
She paused hesitantly before responding, “Yes.”  
“And you shouldn’t?” Clint asked.  
“Well not technically but I’m good at hiding things so they would never find out…” Natasha explained.  
“Your employers? Well I’m good at hiding things too…” Clint replied.  
“No you’re not.”  
“Excuse me?” Clint teased laughing.  
“No offense but you’re not really compared to me,” Natasha replied honestly.  
“So this was never meant to happen?”  
“Confessing cliché emotion? No. Not on the agenda.” Natasha joked half serious.  
“Well then what do you want to do now?”  
“Like now? Hot chocolate sounds good…” Natasha smiled.  
“No like, do you want to lose me for them or the other way around?” Clint asked.  
“God you’re melodramatic…” Natasha sighed.  
“What can I say? I didn’t win Miss America for nothing,” Clint joked and Natasha rolled her eyes.  
“C’mon Nat. Pick me.” Clint pushed pinching her forearm teasingly.  
“This isn’t a Nicholas Sparks book. It’s not that I’m picking them over you. It’s that the lifestyle I want requires it.” Natasha said sighing.  
“Then I want in.”  
“Want into what for godsake Clint? You’re going to college and I love you but I have a life.”  
“I want into the gang or thug group you’re joining,” Clint laughed.  
“It’s not… Oh my god.” Natasha replied covering her face with her hands in embarrassment for Clint.  
“C’mon I want in.”  
“No you don’t and even if you did you wouldn’t fit Clint. You’re too good,” Natasha tried to explain.  
“If you’re not hopping on the bandwagon with me then I’m jumping out of it for you,” Clint said stubbornly.  
“Please don’t… you won’t last. It’s dangerous Clint.” Natasha told him desperately.  
“When were you planning on joining?” Clint asked ignoring her attempt.  
“The end of summer.”  
“I’m gonna do it too.”  
“No you’re not Clint!” Natasha argued.  
“It’ll be just like Lower School. You’ll never see me coming and all of a sudden we’ll both be handed the same certificate,” Clint smiled suddenly determined.  
“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into Clint. This is the Russian Mafia!” Natasha finally admitted exasperated, and Clint paused.  
“Good. The bigger the goals the better,” he replied and Natasha shook her head upset.  
“You don’t even know how to fight or keep your mouth shut Clint,” Natasha attempted still hesitant.  
“You’ll have to teach me then.”  
“We only have one summer!”  
“Well then we better get started sensei.”  
“Shut up.”  
“Is that part of the training?” Clint joked and Natasha rolled her eyes again.  
“Well let’s see if you’re any good then…” the red head said as she gave in and stood up.  
“Wait I win? We’re actually doing this?” Clint asked surprised.  
“No, shut up. I just wanna see if you’re any good,” Natasha responded casually.  
“So you’re gonna test me in your backyard?” the blonde asked.  
“You got it,” she replied and started heading for the door.  
“Hey Nat? One last thing,” Clint said and Natasha turned around with a sigh ready to escape her bare lips.  
“Stop trying to put me off because I’ve already picked you,” Clint said seriously and in two short strides he was kissing her.

Natasha was relatively shocked and Clint was too but it happened and it was good. The game was finally over. They felt what people saw. Felt the breath taking show of dancing together, the adrenaline infused stunt of competing with one another, the simple perfect fit of becoming friends. They finally were what they’d forever denied being and it felt like heaven.

“Never took you for a romantic but that was nice,” Natasha grinned when the kiss was over.  
“Thank God. It didn’t quite make the cut in my head but I just had to enjoy something before you started beating me up.” Clint laughed.  
“Hey, you said you wanted to be trained.” Natasha replied.  
“I do!”  
“Well okay then let’s go; and no more cliché fanfiction kisses until the end of practice okay?” Natasha teased as they headed toward her backyard.  
“Can’t promise anything,” Clint replied and Natasha shook her head fondly.

They practiced until late evening and Clint completely failed at keeping his lips to himself though he did end up on the floor whenever he so much as flirted with Natasha. He turned out to be relatively good at the basic principles of Kung Fu and though Natasha would never admit it, she had hope that Clint wouldn’t be taken down immediately when they broke into the mafia base with the intent of appealing to the main boss.

Later that night, Clint decided to sleepover at Natasha’s though he still insisted he sleep on the floor no matter the amount of times she rolled her eyes or told him she’d use pillows to separate them.

“I wouldn’t be able to be close to you and fall asleep like it was no big deal,” Clint argued.  
“You’re close to me right now! Whether you’re on a mattress or on the carpet makes no difference Clint.” Natasha exclaimed.  
“It makes the biggest difference Nat! I’m like your boyfriend now!”  
“Ew don’t say that.”  
“That I’m your boyfriend? But I am… And you like it too,” Clint laughed teasing her lightly.  
“Pft go to sleep Clint,” Natasha ushered looking down at the outline of his body next to her bed.  
“Fine but I’m gonna kiss you first,” Clint smiled and he got up onto his knees and leaned into her sleepy face.  
“Wa-wai- I’m yawning,” Natasha yawned laughing and so Clint kissed her neck instead.  
“Up here. My face is up here,” Natasha said guiding Clint’s mouth up to hers and kissing him.

Mid way through, Natasha repositioned herself so that she had a hold on Clint’s torso and managed to flip him over so he was on her bed.

“There you go,” the redhead laughed.  
“Nat no I can’t sleep here.”  
“Too late now.”  
“You’re terrible.”  
“That’s nice to know, now go to sleep,” Natasha said cuddling up to Clint’s body and shutting her eyes.

As predicted, Clint had trouble going to sleep. He didn’t even know where to put his hands regardless that he’d never thought twice about it with any other girl. Then again, Natasha was different.

In the end, he was just happy he was near her. He supposed that that had never really changed. Ever since they were small he’d needed to be near her whether it was to diss her, talk to her or argue with her. He was just lucky enough that she was always there for him to bother. He loved her pathetically. So 13 years since he’d first hated Natasha, he’d fallen in love with her. In love with her short red hair and pale skin. In love with her quirks and and moods and voice. All of her. Every single part… and funnily enough, she turned out to be the one to love him back.

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspired by All Time Low's 'Do You Want Me (Dead?). I loved writing this and I hope you like it! Happy Holidays guys.


End file.
